Overnight Oats with Chocolate and Figs

The little signs are here – an unexpected row of butternut squashes aligned on a stall, a few yellow leaves in the tree next to my studio window, a subtle drop of the daylight intensity, the sunset hour and all those tones of yellow and orange that slowly replace the pink and red at the farmers’ market.

The sudden ideas of cooking a stew or having a warm breakfast bowl. All those pumpkin recipes invading Pinterest. The new projects hitting the email and (yet) a new self-promise of exercising more starting from September. Autumn will be here soon and although I don’t want to rush things or lose sight of any small detail of these last days of summer, I really look forward to welcoming it.

This overnight oats bowl is just what it takes to make the most of the transition season mornings. A healthy treat that involves chocolate and autumn fruits. A great taste but also a very nourishing combo. Oats are my go-to ingredient when it comes to getting the fibers intake up. They make a filling breakfast especially when combined with protein-rich ingredients – hemp hearts, quinoa, natural yogurt or buckwheat being among my favorites.

I usually feel hungry if I have a simple oat bowl for breakfast, and always need to add extra ingredients to ensure my body doesn’t crave for food in just a couple of hours. For this one I used buckwheat groats, hemp and chia seeds, ensuring my body gets the protein it needs but also healthy monounsaturated fats and a concentrated dose of both soluble and insoluble fiber.

I see oats as the cheapest and simplest way to give your digestive system a good cleanse first thing in the morning, while also maintaining the health of your colon, cardiovascular system and a balanced blood sugar level throughout the day. All of these are tied to the high fiber content in oats (about 15% per 0.25 cup), especially the water-soluble beta-glucans.

The microbiome in your colon ferments these nutrients and the process byproducts feed the intestinal bacteria, improve the immune system and preserve the health of the colon wall cells. Beta-glucans also bind with cholesterol and helps your body eliminate it, preventing its leak back into the blood stream. The cardiovascular benefits of oats come from their improving effect on the nutrient absorption.

The viscosity created by beta-glucans in the small intestine improves digestion and the minerals (manganese, zinc, copper and magnesium) in oats are easily absorbed into the blood stream.

Adding dark chocolate, raw cacao and seasonal fruits such as figs is a great way to turn your overnight oats into a dessert-like breakfast. Another way is to serve your oats topped with a quick compote made with fresh or frozen fruits, stewed in equal parts if orange juice and purified water with cinnamon and anise (delish!).

I have experimented a lot with oats so if you’re looking for more ways to include delicious oats breakfast bowl, don’t miss my Overnight Oats with Beet Juice and Coconut, my autumn approved Pumpkin Oatmeal with Chocolate Chunks or my with Whipped Porridge with Chocolate and Quinoa Nut Crunch.